Signal device



April 30, 1935. TARLTQN' 1,999,885

SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Nov. 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sht 1 84' I I 85 I! I 3- April 1935- G. L. TARLTON 1,999,885

SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Nov. 27, 1933 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Puw' .3.

AUTOMA T/c MECHANISM 3mm Georye L. Tarli'on Patented Apr. 30, 1935 PATENT OFFICE.

SIGNAL DEVICE George L. Tarlton, Baltimore, Md. Application November 27, 1933, Serial No. 699,955

lclalm.

This invention relates in general to signal devices, and more particularly has reference to a traffic control signaling mechanism and equipment.

Trafllc signaling devices have previously been constructed consisting of a casing having a plurality of compartments, the various compartments having appropriately colored transparent panels in their sides and suitable lamps therewithin together with means for alternately lighting the lamps to convey the necessary trafllc information by means of the-transparent colored panels. Difllculty has been experienced however in this type of construction in,that it has been found that when a-lamp burns out in one of the compartments, there is, many times a grave resulting danger to trafllc and the signal device hecomes a menace rather than a safety device.

Where these signal devices are located at busy street intersections as they usually are, it is many times impossible to replace a burnt out bulb for a considerable length of time, and as a consequence many serious accidents have occurred.

The only attempt to guard against this burning out of the lamps and the resulting inconvenience and danger to traffic has been to provide two lamps instead of one in each compartment, these lamps being located side by side and operating together. The theory is that when one of the lamps burns out the other will still remain burning and will serve to direct trafllc. This arrangement however has certain very serious objections. To begin with, it necessitates the burning of two lights all the time which is obviously a waste both in current consumed and in lamps used. In the second place, since these bulbs are both burning all the time, if one should burn out, the bulb remaining will usually be found to be a much used lamp which is itself likely to burn out at any time. Where two lamps are substantially alike and each has been in use substantially the same time, it is quite likely that they will burn out within a comparatively short space of time. Therefore, the safety factor introduced by providing two lamps instead of one as just set forth is not nearly so great as might at first be indicated. In the third place, these lamps have been positioned side by side and have been so located with respect to each other that neither of the lamps can cast a full unshaded beam upon the entire transparent panel surface 01' the compartment'in which they are located. That is to say, when one of the lamps burns out, they are so located with respect to each other that the lamp which is still burning will not shine full upon all of the transparent panelsurface of the compartment, but part of this panel surface will be shaded by the bulb which has been burnt out. Now it is-a well known fact that traflic signals of this type must have the full illumination upon the entire transparent panel surface at all times. It is particularly true that at certain hours of the day when the sun shines upon the traffic signal in a certain manner it is very hard to tell whether the traflic signal is indicating traffic stop or indicating trafllc go. It will readily be appreciated that it would be all the harder to discern this difference if the light within one of the compartments were allowed to be shaded upon a portion of the transparent panel surface, and

that a traffic signal of that nature would be 'rendered ineflicient and unsafe by the burning out of one of the bulbs.

It is of course desirable to place the light source as near the geometrical center of the compartment as it is possible to do so that the illumination willbe evenly distributed over the transparent panel surface ,of the compartment. It is,

therefore, an object of this invention to provide a traffic signal of the type set forth in which provision is made for the continuation of the use of the-trafilc signal in the normal manner after one of the lamps has burnt out and without the necessity for immediately replacing the same.

It is a further object that it shall be necessary to have only one lamp burning at a time in each compartment of this traflic signal, and that the lamps are to be so located with respect to each other and within the compartment that neither if burned out will shade the other from any of the transparent panel surface of the signal, and so that the light source of both lamps will be located as nearly as possible with the geometrical center of the compartment, The two lamps in each compartment areto be so connected that the automatic controlling mechanism may be connected to operate either one light or the other, in any compartment.

It is a further ,object of this invention to provide a means .whereby two entirely separate, and

independent sets of lamps for a traflic signal may be selectively used andwhereby a change may be made from one set to the other at will.

With the above and other-objects in view, one embodiment of this invention is asillustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the traffic signal with one side opened up, constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation view of an open control box illustrating the manual control for this invention.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the electrical hook-up of this invention.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a slightly modified switching arrangement.

As illustrated in the drawings, the tramc signal proper of this invention is housed within a casing I shown in Figure 1, this casing being in turn supported from its top by means of a horizontal bar 2, or in any other manner which may be found suitable.

The casing I is provided with side walls 3 and 4, with a back wall 5, and with a front wall 8 which is hinged at I to the side wall 4. This hinged front wall or door 6 is further provided with a means 8 for cooperating with a locking device 9 on the side wall 3 whereby the door 6 may be locked in closed position. The casing l is likewise provided with a bottom wall i and with a top wall H, and with two partitions I2 and I3 which serve to divide the casing into three substantially similar compartments.

The upper compartment of the casing i has its side walls provided with transparent panels [4 and I which may be given a green color as is customary for the purpose of conveying trafllc go" information. The rear wall of this compartment as well as the front wall thereof are provided with transparent panels i6 and I1 respectively which may be colored red for thepurpose of conveying traffic stop information. The middle compartment has each of its side walls provided with a transparent panel, all of these transparent panels which are numbered l8, I9,

-23 and 21 respectively being amber colored for the purpose of indicating traiiic change information. The lower compartment like the up per one is provided with oppositely disposed red transparent panels 22 and and with oppositely disposed green transparent panels 24 and 25. It

is to be noted, however, that the red and green panels in the upper compartment are disposed in different directions with'respect to the compartment than are those in the lower compartment. Thus when the upper compartment is illuminated, trafflc 'will be allowed to go in one direction and -will be stopped in the other, while when the lower compartment is illuminated traflic will be permitted in a-diiierent direction.

Substantially at the center of the top of each compartment there 'is' provided a socket, these sockets being indicated by the numerals 26, 21 and 28 respectively, and lamps numbered 29, 30 and 3| respectively are placed therein. Likewise, there is a socket located substantially at the center of the bottom of each compartment, these sockets being numbered 32, 33 and 34 respectively, and the bulbs which are placed therein are numbered 35, 36 and 31 respectively. It will thus be seen that each compartment has two bulbs, that,

there is a bulb suspended from substantially the center of the topof each compartment and that there is a bulb extending'upwardly from substantially the center ofthe bottom of each compartment. It is to be noted that these bulbs extend to within'a short distance of each other in each case, and that they areof a type in which the light source is located remotefrom the socket end. It is therefore apparent that the light source of each bulb will be capable of throwing a direct beam over the entire surface of each transparent panel in each compartment without being shaded by the other bulb, and that the light source of each bulb will be located adjacent the central horizontal plane of its compartment.

The bulbs which have just been described are grouped, with all of the bulbs which are suspended from the tops of the compartments in one group, and all of. the bulbs which extend upwardly from the bottoms of the compartments in the other group. Wires 38 enclosed in casing 39 extend from the first group of sockets and connect them with the controlling means later to be described, and wires 40 enclosed within casing 4| connect the second group of sockets with the controlling means.

For the purpose of shading the irrespective transparent panels from outside light, the casing i is provided with a shade above each panel as indicated at 42 in Figure 1. Also, the upper end of the casing I is provided with sloping walls 43 which converge toward the. top thereof and terminate in the ring member 44 adapted to receive the end 45 of the bar 2.

With reference now particularly to Figure 3, there is shown the diagram illustrating the electrical connection contemplated by this invention. The lamps 29, 30 and 3|, which are suspended from the tops of the respective compartments are connected by means of conductors 46 and 41, 48 and 49, and 50 and; 5| respectively to the switch terminals 52 and 53, 54 and 55, and 58 and 51 respectively. The lamps 35, 36 and 31 which extend upwardly'from the bottom of each compartment are connected by means of conductors 58 and 59, 60 and 8|, and 82 and 83 respectively to the switch terminals 84 and 65, 86 and 61, and 88 and 69. This switch as illustrated in Figure 2 is of the six blade double pole variety.

For the purpose of controlling the manipulation of the lights in the traflic signal constructed in accordance with this invention, there is provided a conventional automatic time control mechanism such as indicated at 18 in Figure 3. Such mechanism is supplied by means of input conductors and serve to alternately energize the three pairs of conductors H and I2, 13 and 14, and and 16 at time intervals depending upon its adjustment. This construction is of a well known and conventional variety and its details form no part of this invention. The alternately energized pairs of conductors just mentioned are connected respectively to the terminals I1, 18, I9, 88, 8I- and 82 of the six pole double throw switch. This switch is provided with blades 83, 84, 85, 86, 81 and 88 which are connected at their outer ends for simultaneous operation by means of an insulated cross bar 89. This cross bar may if desired be provided with a handle 38 for the purpose of throwing the switch. It will be readily apparent from this description that the automatic time control mechanism may be connected so as to operate either the lamps which are suspended from the tops of the various compartments or those which project upwardly from the bottoms of thevarious compartments according to the wilhof the operator. It is also noted that the same pair of control wires will actuate a lamp in the same compartment regardless of which way the switch is thrown, and that whichever lamp is actuated, the beam therefrom will be cast over the entire surface of all the transparent panels of that compartment. Since the light source of each bulb is located as ,nearly as practicable to the central horizontalplane of the compartment which it illuminates, it will be appreciated that the illumination cast upon the respective transparent panels will be substantially uniform over the entire area of each.

Although the above description relates to dividing the lights into groups and shifting the automatic control mechanism from one group to the other simultaneously, it will be appreciated that a separate switch may be provided for each compartment so that the operation of one compartment may be shifted from one lamp to the other independently. Thus, in Figure 4 there are shown three double pole, double throw switches 9|, 92 and 93, one for each compartment. The conductors 46 and 41 are connected to the terminals 94 and 95' respectively onone side of the switch 9!, and the conductors 58 and 59 are connected to theterminals 96 and 91 on the other side thereof. The conductors H and 12 are connected at 98 and 99 to the blades I and IUI of this switch. These blades are connected together by the insulated member I02, which is provided with a handle I93. Likewise, the conductors 48 and 49, 60 and Bi, and 13 and 14 are connected to the switch 92 and the conductors D and 5|, B2 and 63, and 15 and 16 are connected to switch 93. The switches 9|, 92, and 93 are identical and are independently operable to control the lights in the respective'compartments individually.

It will be appreciated that by the above described invention there has been provided a means for carrying out all of the objects set forth, and that the same is possessed of noveladvantages and construction which have not heretofore been possible. While the construction of the embodiment shown in the drawings has been set forth in detail, it will be appreciated that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In an illuminable traffic signal, a stationary rectangular casing having vertical side and end walls formed with openings closed by lenses, a fiat bottom and a flat top, the lenses in the side walls being of a like color, the lenses in the end walls being of a like color, the lenses in the side walls being of a diiferent color from that of the lenses in the end walls, the lenses in the end walls having their axes parallel and in alignment with the longitudinal median of the casing and the lenses in the end walls having their axesparallel and in alignment with the transverse median of the casing whereby a stop and go signal at right angles to each other will be presented to observers, a pair of oppositely disposed selectively illuminable lamps endwise aligning with each other in very close spaced relation in said casing, thereby to provide a safety means whereby the casing will be at all times thoroughly illuminated when it should be illuminated, one of said lamps having its base mounted upon the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse medians of and extending upwardly from the upper face of said bottom, the other of said lamps having its base mounted against the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse medians of and extending downwardly from the lower face'of said top, the axes of said lamps being disposed at the vertical median of the casing, said lamps being of like length having their free ends disposed immediately adjacent the sides of the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse medians of said casing, so as to render the'latter equally as well illuminable from either of said lamps, and spaced circuit connections for said lamps connected to the bases of the latter extending down through said top at spaced points thereof and having horizontal portions bearing throughout against the inner faces of said top and bottom, that circuit connection bearing against said bottom having a vertical portion bearing through against the inner face of one of the end walls adjacent the lens in the latter, said circuit connections being so disposed relative to the casing and lamps to prevent their interfering with the illumination of the casing, so as to avoid shadow casting on the lens and to provide for equal illumination of all the illuminated lenses.

GEORGE L. TARLTON. 

